Afraid (26 page)

J
ulie bit back a scream as she heard the door to their private quarters bang open. He was here! But did he know that she had locked herself in her room? She had to be very quiet and hope he hadn't heard her.

But her hopes vanished abruptly when she heard his heavy footsteps coming down the hall to her room. They stopped, and his horrible, whispery voice seeped in through the crack at the bottom of the door.
“I've got you now, Vicki. Daddy knows where his wicked little girl is hiding. I heard you up here in your room.”

His breathing was labored. He'd climbed the stairs. The elevator wouldn't work, now that the power was out. Julie held her breath and said a quick prayer for someone—anyone—to come. She knew exactly how a trapped animal must feel as she crouched by her bed and watched the doorknob turn.

“You can't keep me out, you know.”
Uncle Bob gave a chilling laugh.
“Come to Daddy and take your punishment like a good, brave girl.”

There was a snap as the metal lock sheered off and the doorknob began to turn. Julie stared at it in terrible fascination. He'd broken the lock with his bare hand! But the heavy dresser was in front of the door. He'd have to move it before he could get her!

And then the dresser began to slide back, slowly, but steadily, as he put his shoulder to the door. One inch, two inches. Julie didn't wait any longer. There was only one way out of her room, and she had to take it. She raced for the balcony doors and opened the locks.

A gust of wind howled around her as she stepped out onto the balcony. But Julie was too terrified to feel the sharp ice crystals that pelted against her skin. The fire escape was only a foot from her balcony, but it seemed like much farther as she reached out and grabbed it, pulling herself onto the slippery metal stairs.

She was wearing tennis shoes, a bad choice, since the metal steps were crusted with ice. But there wasn't time to think about that now. Julie grabbed the cold metal railing and hurried down the fire escape, slipping and sliding until she got to the third floor. Frantically she tugged on the window, but it was locked tightly. And the window on the second floor was locked, too. The fire escape ended at the second floor landing, with a metal ladder that was designed to slide down the rest of the way. Julie tugged on the ladder, trying to make it slide down to the ground. But it was stuck tight, covered with a solid sheet of ice.

She glanced down and shuddered. The sidewalk that ran around the lodge had been swept clean by the biting wind. There were no soft piles of snow below, only an expanse of rock-hard concrete. No, she couldn't jump down and risk breaking her leg. She had to climb up the fire escape again, past her window to the fifth floor. There was no other choice.

Julie almost fell as she climbed past the third-floor window. She could hear the dresser screeching against her floor, and she knew Uncle Bob was struggling to push it out of the way. Still, she didn't hesitate as she rushed up the steps that led past her window. All she could do was pray that the dresser would keep him out until she could get past.

She glanced in her window as she rushed by, and gasped in fright. The dresser was moving back and Uncle Bob was trying to squeeze through the opening. He was coming in!

Julie almost flew up the steps to the fifth floor. Her fingers were numb with the freezing cold, but she tugged on the window as hard as she could. It opened! An inch! And then it refused to go any further. There was only one place left to go. The roof!

As Julie stepped onto the snowy expanse of the roof, she heard heavy footsteps clanging against the metal steps of the fire escape. But they were going down! If Uncle Bob thought she'd jumped down from the fire escape, she'd be safe!

Quickly Julie crossed the steeply slanted roof and huddled behind the huge chimney. The bricks were slightly warm and she pressed her chilled body against them. Her terrified mind was chanting a litany of hope:
Please think I jumped down . . . Please think I jumped down . . . Please, please, please think I jumped down!

But she hadn't fooled him! The heavy footsteps clanged upward again. She could hear them, louder and louder as he climbed up the metal steps of the fire escape.

The wind was blowing harder now, whipping up sheets of snow to send them sweeping across the expanse of the roof. Would it erase her footsteps in time? Julie felt her hopes rise as the clanking footsteps stopped at the fifth floor. She'd left the window slightly open. He might think she'd climbed in and pulled it down from the inside.
Please think I climbed in
. . .
Please think I climbed in
. . .
Please, please, please think I climbed in!

But no. He was coming up to the roof! And she was trapped behind the chimney. There was no other place to hide!

What would he do? Julie's horrified mind ran through the possibilities. Would he stab her with the chef's knife she'd left in the lobby? Or shoot her with one of the guns he used for hunting? Or would he shove her down the steeply slanted roof and roll her over the edge? She thought about that frightening five-story drop and her heart beat hard in terror. Somehow she had to stall him, and keep hoping that someone would come to help her!

“You've been a bad girl, Vicki!” His voice was loud now, an enraged roar that she could hear over the screeching howl of the wind “Come out and take your punishment!”

Julie huddled against the bricks. Just a few more seconds and he would find her. What could she say to stall him? Then she remembered the picture she'd seen in the family scrapbook of Uncle Bob holding Vicki when she was a little girl. He'd been smiling down at her, proud that she was his beautiful daughter, and there had been a clear expression of love in his eyes. She had to make him remember that love. It might save her life.

She could hear his labored breathing as he climbed up the steep incline of the roof. He was almost here! It wouldn't do any good to tell him she wasn't Vicki. He was insane, and he wouldn't listen to reason. She'd be Vicki for him, a younger Vicki, the Vicki he'd loved.

Julie took a deep breath, and prayed that her plan would work. And then she called out to him in a tiny, quavering voice. “Daddy? I'm scared, Daddy. Please come and get me.”

The footsteps stopped, and there was absolute silence. Even the wind stopped blowing for a moment. And when he spoke again, his voice was softer.

“Vicki? Where are you, baby?”

“I'm here. I'm sorry, Daddy. I've been a bad girl and I'll never climb up here again. Take me down, Daddy? I'm tired and I want you to tell me a story.”

He laughed and Julie held her breath. It wasn't a frightening laugh. It was an amused chuckle, the sort of laugh you'd use if your favorite child had done something charming and a little bit foolish. “Which story do you want, baby?”

“I want my favorite. You know the one, Daddy. You tell that one so good.”

“Cinderella?”

“Yes, Daddy. Please tell me Cinderella. Please?”

Julie held her breath. Had it worked? Then she breathed a sigh of relief as he started to tell the story. She could hear his voice plainly. He was standing on the other side of the chimney, so close he could take one step and grab her, but he was caught up in the fantasy, immersed in the memory of a happier time . . . for now. But what would he do when he finished the story? Would he decide to kill her then?

Paul skidded to a stop in the driveway and hurtled out of his car. The lodge loomed up in front of him, dark and deserted. Were they in there? Was he too late? But then he heard voices on the roof, snatches of conversation between the howls of the wind. A small voice was asking a question, and Mr. Hudson was answering. She was keeping him busy, talking. That was good. It would give him time to get up to the roof and save her.

As Paul raced to the door, he caught one phrase, something about a glass slipper. And then it struck him. Vicki had been right. Mr. Hudson was truly insane. He was telling Julie the story of Cinderella!

The front door was locked, and Paul hurried around the side of the lodge. His mind was focused on one thought.
That's right, Julie
. . .
keep him talking. Just keep him talking until I can get there.
But the side door was locked, too. And the kitchen door. Paul raced for the big ladder that was kept by the side of the building and propped it up against the fire escape. Then he climbed quickly, hoping the old wooden rungs would hold until he could step out on the metal stairs.

As he climbed up the rickety ladder, Paul wished he'd listened more closely when his mother had read fairy tales to Donna. Was the glass slipper near the end of the story? Then he was on the metal stairs, and he caught another phrase as he raced upward. The wicked stepmother had locked Cinderella up and one of the ugly stepsisters was trying to shove her foot into the glass slipper. If he remembered right, the story was almost over. He had to hurry!

 

“And there was a big royal wedding. The prince married . . . married . . .” Uncle Bob's voice faltered. And then he let out a howl of anger. “You tricked me, Vicki! You're not a little girl anymore. You're a wicked woman, and I have to stop you before it's too late!”

“No, Daddy. I'm not wicked.” Julie felt her heart thud against her ribs. “I'm just a little girl, and you're telling me all about Cinderella.”

For a moment she thought her ploy had worked. And then he grabbed her. His face was twisted into a snarl of rage, and his voice was loud in her ear.

“I killed you once, and now I have to kill you again! You can't marry your brother and have his child! I won't let you!”

Julie's mouth opened, but she was too terrified to scream. All she could do was stare at him in open-mouthed horror. And then he smiled, a smile that made her blood run cold, because it was so full of love, and kindness, and total insanity.

“I love you, baby. And that's why I have to kill you. You're an abomination, don't you see? I gave you life, and now I'm going to take it away. It's only right.”

“But . . . but . . . I don't understand!”

“Ross is your brother.” Uncle Bob explained in a patient voice. “I told you all that. And I fixed your car so you couldn't drive down the mountain. But you didn't listen, did you, Vicki? You tried to run off with him anyway. I didn't mean to kill you, darling. I just wanted to keep you here, where I could watch over you. And now it's starting all over again!”

“Wh . . . what do you mean?” Julie gazed up at him in stark terror.

“I saw you coming out of his room. You're devious, Vicki. Devious and wicked. You're going to trap him into running off with you again. But I won't let you do it. I stopped you last time, and I'll stop you this time, too.”

“I promise I won't run off with Ross.” Julie's voice was shaking. “Really, I won't. Just let me go, and I'll be good.”

“Lies. All lies.” Uncle Bob sighed deeply as he looked down at her. “And you're not alone, Vicki darling. I know that now. I lied, too. I lied to your mother when I told her I wasn't seeing Ross's mother. And I lied about why you died. My whole life has been a deception, just like yours. It's bad seed, Vicki. You inherited the evil from me. And now we both have to die!”

“No!” Julie put up a valiant struggle, but Uncle Bob was just too strong. He pried her away from the chimney, and started to drag her across the roof. She kicked out at him, scratched him with her nails, pounded his heavy back with her fists, but she was no match for his demented strength.

Then there was a loud shout, and Julie looked up to see Paul standing in their path. Paul had come to save her! He looked solid, and strong, and very determined.

“Stop, Mr. Hudson! She's not Vicki! She's Julie!”

Julie felt her uncle's grip slacken for an instant, and she took full advantage of that momentary lapse. She kicked out hard and managed to free herself, scrambling away through the snow to Paul.

“Stay back!” Paul pushed her to the side. Then he stood there, watching, waiting, anticipating Mr. Hudson's next move.

The move came much quicker than Julie had thought it would. For a big man, Uncle Bob moved with lightning speed. He let out a terrible yell and charged through the snow toward Paul, his arms sweeping wide to knock him off the edge of the roof.

Julie watched with horror as Paul stood frozen in place. He had to get out of the way! But then, at the last instant, Paul sidestepped quickly, throwing Uncle Bob off balance.

Julie screamed then, a high, thin sound of terror, as Uncle Bob hurtled toward the edge of the roof, slipping and sliding, trying to regain his balance. But he was going too fast to stop, and the downward slope was steep. He let out a terrible howl, full of insane rage. And then he was gone, disappearing over the side of the roof with horrible finality.